Activist Dr Guy Bailey OBE celebrated at UWE Bristol event

Civil rights activist and UWE Bristol alum, Dr Guy Bailey OBE, who was instrumental in the Bristol Bus Boycott in the 1960s, is the first guest speaker at the latest series of free public events hosted by UWE Bristol.

‘Celebrating Guy Bailey’, part of the Bristol Distinguished Address Series (BDAS), will reflect on the impact Guy has had on racial equality and social justice in Britain. Taking place on the evening of Wednesday 2 October at UWE Bristol’s Frenchay campus, the event will be hosted by Dr Roger Griffith MBE, associate lecturer at UWE Bristol.

In April 1963, aged 17, Guy applied for a job as a bus driver at the Bristol Omnibus Company; he was denied an interview due to the colour of his skin. This resulted in the historic Bristol Bus Boycott which soon attracted national and international attention.

Influenced by the Bristol Bus Boycott campaign, Bristol East MP Tony Benn joined Harold Wilson’s cabinet who introduced the 1965 Race Relations Act, which then evolved into the 2010 UK Equalities Act as it’s known today.

Guy’s work in race equality and social justice didn't end there. Inspired by his studies at Bristol Polytechnic – now UWE Bristol – in Social Sciences, he founded United Housing Association to support Caribbean Elders, the first Black housing association in the south-west. 

Earlier this year, UWE Bristol awarded Guy an Honorary Doctor of Letters in recognition of his outstanding contributions to race equality, creating communities, and supporting underserved communities.

‘Celebrating Guy Bailey’ is an evening of conversation about Guy’s life, discussions of activism and academia, poetry and networking.

The event is free and transportation will be provided for Caribbean elders. The celebration will also launch a fundraiser for Caribbean lunch clubs in Bristol and kick off UWE Bristol’s Black History Month.

To book a free ticket to this event on Wednesday 2 October 2024, 18:00-21:30, go to: https://www.uwe.ac.uk/events/bdas-celebrating-dr-guy-bailey